On May 21, 2013, an EF-5 tornado ripped a 14-mile path through Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, killing 24 and destroying 12,000 homes. The estimated cost of the damage totaled $2 billion.
Barbara Garcia and her dog Bowser were among those in the tornado’s path. Together, they sheltered in a small interior bathroom of their house, but all at once, the power went out, and Barbara and Bowser were lifted and tossed about as the house was torn to pieces. In just seconds, Barbara’s home of forty-five years was destroyed, and Bowser was missing.
No matter how many times she called, Bowser didn’t appear, and Barbara figured her precious Schnauzer was lost under the rubble.
A Miracle Live On Air
Following the storm, the elderly dog mom spoke with Anna Werner of CBS News in front of what used to be her and Bowser’s home.
“I hollered for my little dog, but he didn’t come, so I know he’s in here somewhere,” Barbara said, gesturing at the wreckage.
As the interview went on, sirens and helicopters could be heard in the background, but it was the cry of someone off-camera that captured attention. Someone had spotted Bowser in the rubble. Barbara went straight to pulling Bowser from the mess to safety there on live national coverage!
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“All of the other things…you know, one by one, they can be replaced,” Barbara said. “Much of it wasn’t even important, but I couldn’t replace him.”
Barbara had no insurance, and her home was ruined, but she and Bowser were together. And she knows someone had Their hand on her and Bowser both.
“God spared me, and He spared him. I had a prayer, you know, ‘God, take care of us,” and He did,” Barbara shared.
The Goodness of Others
Seeing this piece on CBS News, Erin DeRuggiero of Minneapolis, MN, felt compelled to help Barbara and Bowser and set up a GoFundMe to help them recover. By the close of the fundraiser, the page received 1,600 donations for a total just shy of $74,000.
“Even though I’ve lost, I’ve gained so much,” she said in a follow-up interview with CBS. “This has shown me how many good, good people are out there.”
Thanks to those good people, Barbara could see her plan of rebuilding her Moore property come to life. By November of that same year, she and Bowser settled into their new home after staying with her daughter since the tornado.
Another Blow, but Hope Lives On
On December 26, 2013, just seven months after the tornado, Erin updated GoFundMe followers with sad news.
“Barbara’s beloved Bowser passed away this morning after having a stroke,” Erin shared. “He had been on medication after the tornado due to fluid build-up in his lungs and had been doing well, despite everything he’d been through.”
Though Bowser was gone, Barbara always carried her love and memories of the good boy. And to honor a remarkable dog, when she adopted a teacup schnauzer six months later, Barbara named her new pup BJ, short for Bowser Junior.
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Watch the moment Barbara discovered Bowser in the rubble below.
Feature Image: CBS News/YouTube
Toledo, United States.
